influence of out-of-school experiences and learning … · paper presented in ... 2 influence of...

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Influence of Out-Of-School Experiences and Learning Styles on Interest in Biology,

Chemistry and Physics among Higher Secondary Boys and Girls in Kerala

Abdul Gafoor K.

Professor

Department of Education

University of Calicut

[email protected]

Paper presented in

Two day National Conference on

Quality Education in Present Educational Scenario,

February 23-24, 2017,

North East Regional Institute of Education, Umiam, Meghalaya, India

mailto:[email protected]

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Abstract

Adopting an experiential learning explanation for varying student interest in the three sciences,

out-of-school experience questionnaire, scale of interest in science and Kolb’s learning style

inventory were administered on 775 higher secondary students in Kerala. Despite their similar

achievement levels, boys had higher interest in physics, and girls had higher interest in biology

and chemistry. Higher interest of girls in biology relate to their more out-of-school experiences

(OSE) like observation of animal, insects and birds as well as with domestic medicine, and

gardening related experiences. Girls’ higher interest in chemistry associated with their OSEs

in domestic cleaning using chemicals and experiences from cooking. Likewise, higher interest

of boys in physics is related with their higher experiences with electronic gadgets, electricity,

batteries, magnets, mobile phones and domestic tools. The advantage of girls in biology

through OSEs is more for convergers and assimilators. In chemistry backing from OSEs is

more for converger girls. Girls with divergent or accommodating styles are able to some extent

compensate their disadvantage in physics through their OSEs. The findings further highlight

the significance of relating science topics with life experiences, in consideration of student

learning styles. The findings indicate the ways for curricula to avoid gender stereotyping of the

topics by pointing to examples, illustrations, assignments and the like that apply equally for

boys and girls.

Keywords: Out-of-school Experiences, Interest in science, Physics, chemistry, Biology

Convergers, Divergers, Accommodators, Assimilators.

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Context: Declining Student Interest in Science

Gender differences in science achievement which gains attention of researchers at present in

view of the recent thrust on inclusive education may be due to differences in boys’ and girls’

participation in science within and outside the school though the innate differences in visual-

spatial abilities, socialization experiences at home and at school, role stereotypes, are not of

any less significance (Jones & Wheatley, 1989). There is as much raising concern among

educators in the substantial decline in interest in science as students move from elementary to

secondary education being reported by studies from abroad (Tröbst, Kleickmann, Lange-

Schubert, Rothkopf, & Möller, 2016; van Griethuijsen, Rvan Eijck, Haste, den Brok, Skinner,

Mansour,... & BouJaoude, 2015) as well as from India (Gafoor, 2011). However, decline in

interest in science is evident as the students, especially girls, get older; though irrespective of

gender, interest in science topics is highest during primary than secondary schooling (Gafoor,

2011). By secondary schools further modification in science interest appears as subject specific

interests. During upper primary stage, though boys have more interest in biology than physical

sciences, interests in both physical and biological sciences are equal among girls. During

secondary schooling the difference between interests in biological and physical sciences for

girls become more pronounced, and a reversal of interests in physical and biological sciences

for boys is also observed. As the girls reach higher secondary level disparity between their

interest in biological and physical sciences becomes clearer. Accordingly, chemistry is the least

liked science irrespective of gender, but girls like physics only as much as chemistry; while

boys prefer physics much more than chemistry (Gafoor 2011).

Interest in Science, Out-Of-School Experience and Learning Style

Studies reveal that science related experience in (Gafoor, 2009) and out-of-school influence on

interest (Sjoberg, 2000; Gafoor & Smitha, 2010) and the related attitudes and beliefs. Boys

than girls sought to know more about physics topics while girls’ interests was in the biological

sciences; and younger students conveyed more positive attitudes toward science than did older

students (Greenfield, 1997). Physics topics has abstract concepts that appeal girls less; but boys

are more interested in physics (Tsabari & Yarden, 2005; Gafoor & Smitha, 2010). Students of

teachers with high interest in the definite fields - biology, chemistry and physics- had greater

interest in biology, chemistry and physics respectively (Gafoor, 2009). Not only do related

experiences enhance interest in specific science subjects but the type of such experiences are

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influential over particular interests. For example, biology related experiences and chemistry

experiments influence interest in science more among girls, physics activity and biology

experimentation influenced boys’ interest more. Simple experimental acts are more influential

on interest in science for girls than boys (Gafoor & Smitha 2012). Girls involve in much less

out-of-school experience, than boys, many of which later serve to enhance their interest and

success in science (Rennie, 1987, as cited in Greenfield, 1996). Others held that leisure-time

science activities, but not gender, associate with increased interest in school science (Jocz,

Zhai, & Tan, 2014). One possible account for the differential impact of experiences on interest

in the three sciences by gender is sought through learning styles. While no difference among

the test scores of students were observed by learning styles or gender, significant interaction

was observed between gender and learning styles on students’ kinematics graphing skills.

Accommodator female students’ kinematics graphing skills was higher than that of female

students having other learning styles and converger male students’ kinematics graphing skills

was higher than that of male students having other learning styles on kinematics graphing skills

(Delialioglu, 2003). Sociocultural approach to teaching and learning underline that students

bring their own subjectivities and that children's early science interest begins well before

middle school (Chakraverty & Tai, 2013). Situated learning theory enhances the learning space

concept by adding learning spaces that spread beyond the teacher and the classroom.

Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) (Kolb 1981, 2014) holds that learning is the

process whereby knowledge is created through transformation of experience and knowledge

results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience. To be effective, a

learner need four different kinds of abilities namely two dialectically related modes of grasping

experience—Concrete Experience (CE) and Abstract Conceptualization (AC) (perception

mode)—and two dialectically related modes of transforming experience— Reflective

Observation (RO) and Active Experimentation (AE) (information-processing mode). However,

in practice every learner young or old has preferences and inclinations towards certain life

experiences. It is in this context this study investigate significant correlates of interest in

physics chemistry and biology of boys and girls with different learning style in senior

secondary schools in Kerala?

Method

Adopting an experiential learning explanation for the variable student interest in the three

sciences, this study administered an OSE questionnaire (items are evidenced in results section),

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scale of interest in science and Kolb’s learning style inventory on 775 higher secondary student

in Kerala.

Results and Discussion

First, the study examined did the boys and girls in the study sample differ in their

achievement in Physics, Chemistry and Biology (Table 1).

Table 1

Cross Tabulation of Gender and Level of Achievement in Three Sciences

Level of achievement Gender Total (775)

Chi square Boy (n=353) Girl (n=422)

Physics Low 38 (10.8%) 58 (13.7%) 96 (12.4%) 1.73

df=2

p=.42

Average 171 (48.4%) 192(45.5%) 363(46.8%)

High 144(40.8%) 172(40.8%) 316(40.85)

Chemistry Low 47(13.3%) 64(15.2%) 111(14.3%) 3.40

df=2

p=.18

Average 168(47.6%) 17341.0%) 341(44.0%)

High 138(39.1%) 185(43.8%) 323(41.7%)

Biology Low 42 (11.9%) 32b (7.6%) 74(9.5%) 4.28

(df=2)

p=.12

Average 109(30.9%) 142 (33.6%) 251(32.4%)

High 202 (57.2%) 248 (58.8%) 450(58.1%)

Table 1 shows that level of achievement in none of the three sciences Physics,

Chemistry or Biology vary by gender (p>.01). Preference for the four learning styles by gender

is cross-tabulated in Table 2.

Table 2.

Cross Tabulations of Gender and Preference for four Learning Styles Learning style preference

Gender Total

(775)

Chi square

Boy (n=353) Girl (n=422)

Converger 92(26.1%) 105(24.9%) 197(25.4%) .141

df=1,p=.707 Others 261 (73.9%) 317(75.1%) 578(74.6%)

Assimilator 68(19.3%) 118(28.0%) 186(24.0%) 7.97

df=1,p=.005 Others 285 (80.7%) 304(72.0%) 589(76.0%)

Accommodator 97 (27.5%) 78(18.5%) 175(22.6%) 8.897

df=1,p=.003 Others 256 (72.5%) 344 (81.5%) 600 (77.4%)

Diverger 96(27.2%) 121(28.7%) 217(28.0%) .208

df=1,p=..648 Others 257(72.8%) 301(71.3%) 558(72.0%)

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Chi square analyses (Table 2) shows that preferences for converger style and diverger style do

not vary by gender (df=1, p>.05). However, boys tend to prefer accommodator style more than

girls (Chi square = 8.90, df=1, p<.05) and girls tend to prefer assimilator style more than boys

(Chi square = 8.90, df=1, p<.05).

Three separate 2x4 analyses of variances examined whether gender, and learning styles

alone and in interaction has significant effect on interests in biology, chemistry and physics

respectively of senior secondary students. Gender and learning styles do not have significant

interaction effect on interests in biology, physics, or chemistry (p>.05).

Main effect analyses on effect of gender on student interest showed that gender

significantly affects interests in biology, physics, and chemistry (p<.01). Follow-up

comparison of means, revealed significant gender based difference in favour of girls, both on

interest in biology (Boy: N=353, M=24.32, SD=6.72; Girl: N=422, M=26.46,

SD=6.63)[t=4.46, p<.01] and on interest in chemistry (Boy: N=353, M=19.89, SD=7.84; Girl:

N=422, M=21.49, SD=8.10)[t=2.76, p<.01]. But, gender based difference on interest in physics

is in favour of boys (Boy: N=353, M=24.16, SD=7.44; Girl: N=422, M=21.36, SD=7.76)

[t=5.11, p<.01]. Thus, despite their similar achievement levels, boys had higher interest in

physics, and girls had higher interests in biology and chemistry.

Main effect analyses on effect of learning style preferences on student interests revealed

significant effects of learning style preferences on interest in biology (p<.01), and interest in

physics (p<.05), but not on interest in chemistry (p<.05). Table 3 shows means, along with

respective SDs and sample size of interests in biology, and physics by the four learning styles.

Table 3

ANOVA of Interests in Biology, And Physics by Learning Styles

Dependent Variable Learning Style N Mean SD F

Interest In Biology

Converger 197 26.97 6.36 4.842

df= 3,771,

p=.002

Assimilator 186 25.39 6.48

Accommodator 175 25.08 7.04

Diverger 217 24.55 6.92

Interest In Physics

Converger 197 23.74 7.83 2.773

df= 3,771,

p=.041

Assimilator 186 22.15 8.36

Accommodator 175 23.04 7.26

Diverger 217 21.72 7.36

Pairwise comparison of mean scores (Table 3) of interest in biology by the four learning

styles revealed that convergers had significantly higher interest both in biology and physics, in

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comparison to their peers with diverger style (p<.05). However, interests in biology and physics

of Assimilators and Accommodators did not differ significantly neither in comparison to each

other nor in comparison against convergers or divergers (p>.05).

Table 4.

Summary of Multiple Correlation Analyses of Significant Out-Of-School Experience

Correlates with Interest in Biology of Secondary Boys and Girls by Their Learning Styles

OSEs

Convegers Accommodators Assimilators Divergers

Boy Girl Boy Girl Boy Girl Boy Girl

Beta weights of Significant OSEs with Interest in Biology

o river side plants .262 .218 .279

o animal movements .167 .202

o animal predation .245 .324 .201

o pupa .267 .205 .244

o tasting .184

c extinct species .241 .173 .331

c natural disasters .157

d bird watching .241 .283 .228 .237

d cleaning wound .262 .183 .293

d preventive medicine .293 .265

x dissecting floral parts .225 .361 .255 .169

x touch-me-leaves .242 .237 .261

x sprouting the seeds .299 .211

R .495 .648 .496 .431 .660 .593 .563 .481

R2 .245 .420 .246 .186 .436 .352 .317 .232

Adjusted R2 .210 .378 .221 .164 .400 .317 .287 .205

F** 26.88 10.04 10.01 8.55 12.16 9.97 10.55 8.75

df 1, 89 7, 97 3, 93 2, 75 4,63 5,110 4, 91 4,116

**All F values significant (p<.01) a o, c, d and x stands for observation,, collection, doing and experimenting respectively

Interest in biology correlated significantly with out-of-school experiences among both boys

and girls irrespective of learning styles. However, the correlation is high among converger

girls, and assimilator boys, and of moderate level among boys and girls with other learning

styles. The advantage of converger girls appears to be emanating from their experiential base

especially from observation of biological phenomena like tropism of river side plants, animal

movements and predation. Likewise assimilator boys’ interest in biology is found associating

with their doing bird watching and dissecting floral parts. Observations of river side plants,

animal predation, pupa, collection of photos of extinct species, bird watching, dissecting floral

parts and tinkering with touch-me-leaves associate with biology interest better than other sorts

of experiences. Further chi square analyses revealed that observations of pupa, collection of

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photos of extinct species, bird watching, dissecting floral parts and tinkering with touching me

leaves are all more for girls than boys (df=2, p<.05).

Table 5.


Correlates with Interest in Physics of Secondary Boys and Girls by Their Learning Styles

OSEs



Beta weights of Significant OSEs with Interest in Physics

o phases of moon .266

o trajectory of rain drops .250

o rainbow .219

o mobile phone towers .271 .184

c battery cells .346 .248

c photos of astronauts .281 .450

d making bubbles in water .201

d oiling a pulley .239

d dismantling equipment .264

d repairing electronic

gadgets

.482 .357 .216

d fixing electric fuse .302 .399

d measuring height by tape .251 .296

x rainbow by spraying water .273 .257

x reflecting sunlight by

mirror

.232

x magnets .254

x mixing oil and water .199 .234

R .482 .592 .485 .607 .637 .502 .234 .529

R2 .232 .350 .236 .368 .405 .252 .055 .280

Adjusted R2 .223 .324 .211 .324 .368 .225 .045 .262

F** 26.88 13.617 9.56 8.39 10.74 9.41 5.44 15.165

df 1, 89 4, 99 3, 93 5, 72 4, 63 4, 112 1, 94 3, 117


Interest in physics significantly correlated with OSEs among both boys and girls

irrespective of learning styles. However, the correlation is high among accommodator girls,

and assimilator boys, and of small size among diverger boys. It is of moderate level among

boys and girls with other learning styles. The advantage of accommodator girls relate to their

experiential base especially of collection of photos of astronauts, making bubbles in water,

oiling pulley, and repairing electronic gadgets. Physics interest among assimilator boys

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likewise are enhanced by fixing electric fuse, experimenting rainbow by spraying water.

Physics related out-of school experiences is least associated with interest in physics of

divergent boys. Experiences like observing mobile phone towers, collecting battery cells and

photos of astronauts, repairing electronic gadgets, mixing oil and water and fixing electric fuse

are found associated with better interest in physics. Chi square analysis revealed that among

these, observing mobile phone towers, collecting battery cells and repairing electronic gadgets,

and fixing electric fuse are all done significantly more by boys than girls.

Table 6


Correlates with Interest in Chemistry of Secondary Boys and Girls by Their Learning Styles

OSEsa



Beta weights of Significant OSE with Interest in Chemistry

o tasting .250

o application of pesticides .217

o corrosion of iron .197 .192. .116

c soil and stones .274

c dyes .293

c cosmetics perfumes .242 .245

d fermenting dough .294

d cooking .411 .260

d cleaning wound

d bleaching powder .170

d removing stains with

kerosene

.302

d applying carbon in wells .328

d tamarind to clean utensils .224 .263 .217

x applying oil on paper .210

x mixing oil and water .279

x choosing soil for clay

modelling

.233

R .279 .455 .403 .483 .318 .499 .534

R2 .078 .207 .162 .234 .101 .249 .285

Adjusted R2 .068 .173 .139 .210 .085 .216 .247

F** 8.34 5.96 6.972 9.75 6.355 7.388 7.521

df 1,99 3, 92 2, 72 2,64 2,113 4, 89 6,113


Interest in chemistry correlated significantly with OSEs among both boys and girls

irrespective of learning styles. However, the correlation is moderate among accommodator and

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divergent boys and girls, and assimilator boys. It is of small size among convergent girls and

assimilator girls. Out-of school experiences have no significant correlation with chemistry

interest in convergent boys. The advantage of accommodator girls appears to be emanating

from their experiential base especially from collection of photos of astronauts, making bubbles

in water, oiling pulley, and repairing electronic gadgets. Observing corrosion of iron, collecting

cosmetics perfumes, cooking, using tamarind to clean utensils, relates to interest in chemistry

of more than one group. Further chi square analysis revealed that experiences like collecting

cosmetics perfumes, cooking, and using tamarind to clean utensils are done significantly more

by girls than boys (df=2, p<.05).

Conclusions and Implications

Having converging styles is beneficial for biology and physics interest. Convergent

girls do more than their counterparts with other learning styles activities like collection of

photos of astronauts, oiling pulley, dismantling equipment, dissecting floral parts, making

rainbow by spraying water and the like which are usually boy preferred activities. Higher

interest of girls in biology significantly relate to their more OSEs like observation of animal,

insects and birds as well as with domestic medicine, and gardening related experiences. Girls’

higher interest in chemistry is found significantly associated with their OSEs in domestic

cleaning using chemicals and experiences from cooking. Likewise, higher interest of boys in

physics is significantly related with their higher experiences with electronic gadgets, electricity,

batteries, magnets, mobile phones and domestic tools. The advantage of girls in biology

through OSEs is more for convergers and assimilators. In chemistry backing from OSEs is

more for diverger girls. Diverger or accommodator girls are able to some extent compensate

their disadvantage in physics through their OSEs.

The findings that there are significant gender differences with regard to interest in

sciences and interest in activities echoes that of previous studies. For example, girls were more

interested in "artistic" and "realistic" activities among most contexts and generally in the

biological context and boys were more interested in "social" physics activities than girls

(Blankenburg, Höffler, & Parchmann, 2015) matches with finding that girls do more of

collection of photos of extinct species, bird watching, dissecting floral parts and boys do more

of repairing electronic gadgets, and fixing electric fuse. Kolb’s (1981, 2014) suggestion that

diverges often prefer social sciences or humanities and convergers prefer physical sciences is

also reflected in the finding that divergers have least interest in sciences and convergers having

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high interest in physics. While these activities are viewed as fun and interesting, connecting

learning to real-life and deliberating percepts with their peers impact student interest in school

science better (Jocz, Zhai, & Tan, 2014). To gauge and foster interest in science is to understand

the ways in which students express curiosity in the world around (Luce, & Hsi, 2015). This

also means that family interest in science facilitates earlier initial interest in science (Dabney,

Chakraverty, & Tai, 2013). Interestingly, science activities, not gender significantly associated

with an increased interest in school science. The findings further highlight the significance of

relating science topics with life experiences. This should be in consideration of student learning

styles. The findings indicate the ways for curricula to avoid gender stereotyping of the topics

by pointing to examples, illustrations, assignments and the like that apply equally for boys and

girls.

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